To Know the Worth of my Life
by Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: Once, there were two gems that were carved out of the same ground. Once, one of them disappeared.


Once, when there was a new batch of Citrine produced on a planet with four suns there was an anomaly.

There were two Citrines with similar cuts, the placements of their gems on their shoulders only a half an inch apart. The supervisors briefly considered Harvesting these Citrines and starting again but there had to be enough workers or the displeasure would travel all the way up to their supervisors. The two Citrines were ordered to display their Diamond symbol differently.

From the moment they clawed out of the ground the Citrines knew what they were assigned for. It was to carve columns into intricate designs before the Bismuths would set the architecture into place. There were spirals, intentionally jagged edges, columns taking on the appearance of water, every design worthy enough to please the Diamonds.

The two Citrines were lucky that their cuts had been different. One, Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0408 and the other Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0410. They often worked together so as not to disrupt the flow of work and cause confusion among the other Citrines.

For a while, all was well. The nails that stuck out were hammered down and they were hard-working.

But one could not stay down forever.

Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0408 had heard of a revolution. One where a quartz such as herself had gone rogue and made claim to a planet known as Earth. Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0408 couldn't figure it out. This planet was full of resources that could benefit Homeworld. To the stars above, there were rumors that the soil had enough nutrients to birth a whole army of strong, resilient quartz warriors. Anybody who didn't think that using this planet to the last drop was a fool.

Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0410 was gone, and no reports about her whereabouts were given to the Citrines she worked with. Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0408 had to avoid dark thoughts. But sometimes, when work was monotonous, she would think that Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0410 had been Harvested.

She would have gladly stood in her almost twin's place.

Many, many years had passed when Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0408 was sent to Earth. The days where she carved columns into designs were long over. Now she was coming in to report the damages to Homeworld's fighters, which had retreated into their gems or shattered on the battlefield.

A battle had broken out when she was doing one of these reports, and Citrine Facet 2015 CUT 0408 grabbed wildly at any weapon, holding a battle ax in her hands. She ran through the battle, keeping her grip on the ax and found an alcove to hide in.

It felt like many hours passed when she hid there, waiting. The battle raged on, and she heard a sound to her side and swung the battle ax as hard as she could.

If it were any other gem the blow to the shoulder would have caused her to retreated into her gem. But there was a horrible crunching noise as the gem broke apart, her almost twin bearing the symbol of the Crystal Gems and her eyes agonized.

Citrine dropped the ax, watched as the gem in front of her just disappeared, her broken gem dropping to the ground.

Citrine couldn't even look at the pieces. She ran, her whole mind a blank and the world around her silent.

Something pierced her back and she fell.

Citrine could only think of what happened. She could only think of her mistake, what her almost twin had looked like. She memorized everything, even up to when she reformed.

There were Crystal Gems surrounding her and Citrine felt cold fear clutch at her. But they asked if she was all right, called her Lemon and all around treated her like she belonged.

Citrine brushed her fingers down to her gem and replied that she was fine.

It was difficult at first to be expected to know everything, though everyone had treated her kindly. She learned of other gems' nicknames, kept up the mask, and would know that it would be so easy to go to Homeworld and destroy the rebellion.

But she wouldn't. Citrine would gladly stand in her almost twin's place. There was a reason that she decided to protect Earth.

**A/N: Originally posted on AO3 on April 11 2017**


End file.
